The present invention relates generally to packaging containers. In particular, the present invention is an apparatus and method for applying a twist-tie to a multiple serving, recloseable, flexible packaging container.
At one time, multiple serving, flexible packaging containers, such as those that hold cookies, nuts or coffee, were reclosed by simply rolling down the open top of the container. However, this reclosing method was sometimes found to be insufficient, because it did not adequately seal the container. The inadequate sealing of the container would allow air to enter the container thereby drying out the food product. The air entering the container soon caused the food contents to go stale, thus ruining the freshness and flavor of the packaged food.
Separate "twist-ties", made of either plastic and wire or paper and wire, have also been used to seal recloseable, flexible packaging containers. To use a separate twist-tie, the open top of the container is simply twisted to form a necked down region. The twist-tie is then wrapped about the necked down region and the ends of the twist-tie are twisted about one another to secure the twist-tie about the container. The thus applied twist-tie prevents the open top of the container from untwisting, and thereby better maintains the freshness and flavor of the food by preventing substantial quantities of air from reaching the packaged food contents. However, if the open top of the container is not tightly twisted and the twist-tie is not applied tightly, the food contents of the container can still become stale over time. In addition, a separate twist-tie is often not readily handy when one wants to reclose a multiple serving packaging container.
As such, twist-tie applicators have been developed to secure a twist-tie to a multiple serving, recloseable, flexible packaging container such that the twist-tie is readily handy when one wants to reclose the container. To reclose the container, the open top edge of the container is rolled down about the twist-tie and the tabs of the twist-tie extending past the side edges of the bag are bent over to prevent the container top edge from unrolling. A thus reclosed container prevents air from reaching the packaged food contents and thereby maintains the freshness and flavor of the food contents.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,355 to Saur discloses one such apparatus for applying a twist-tie to a packaging container. The apparatus includes an accumulator part, a feed part, and a cutting and presenting part. The accumulator part has a movable idler pulley activated by a first pneumatic cylinder. Movement of the idler pulley causes accumulation of a length of uncut twist-tie material. The accumulated twist-tie material is then fed by feed rollers of the feed part through a directional guide. Movement of a cut and seal applicator of the cutting and presenting part, via a second pneumatic cylinder, cuts the twist-tie material to a desired twist-tie length and applies the twist-tie to a thermoplastic bag. The twist-tie is secured to the bag by a heater element that heats the bag prior to the application of the twist-tie to the bag. Upon contact of the twist-tie with the bag the twist-tie becomes thermally adhered to the bag. Because the applicator of Saur relies on the movement of the cut and seal applicator to hold the twist-tie to the applicator, twist-ties may be applied to bags at various undesired and misaligned orientations.
Individual twist-ties having pressure sensitive adhesive on one side thereof are also available. However, these twist-ties are applied to flexible packaging containers by hand. Because of the hand work nature of the application of the twist-ties, the twist-ties are usually adequately aligned on the containers, however, the application process is tedious, cumbersome and time consuming.
There is a need for an apparatus and a method for applying a twist-tie to a multiple serving, recloseable, flexible packaging container that is efficient and uncomplicated. Specifically, the application apparatus should permit twist-ties to be applied to packaging containers quickly and with alignment accuracy while minimizing the often cumbersome and tedious hand work.